tanker

noun

tank·​er ˈtaŋ-kər How to pronounce tanker (audio)
1
a
: a cargo ship fitted with tanks for carrying liquid in bulk
b
: a vehicle on which a tank is mounted to carry fluids
also : a cargo airplane for transporting fuel
2
: a member of a military tank crew

Examples of tanker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The overnight strike on the Ras Isa port sent massive fireballs billowing skyward and turned tanker trucks into burning wrecks. Arkansas Online, 19 Apr. 2025 Satellite images reveal additional deployments, including KC-135 refueling tankers. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025 At least six aircraft will be deployed for water-dropping missions, the commission said, including one Chinook and two Black Hawks of the state’s National Guard, one helicopter from the Law Enforcement Division and two single-engine air tanker Fire Bosses from the Forestry Commission. Karina Tsui, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025 At the time of the Ukrainian retreat from Kursk last week—a departure precipitated by an elite Russian drone group deploying to the oblast and bombarding Ukraine’s main supply line—Ukrainian tankers had already achieved local tank superiority in some areas. David Axe, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tanker

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tanker was in 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tanker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tanker. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

tanker

noun
tank·​er ˈtaŋ-kər How to pronounce tanker (audio)
: a vehicle (as a ship, truck, or aircraft) designed for the transportation of liquids

More from Merriam-Webster on tanker

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